Steering apparatus for traction-engines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. A. COPELAND.

STEERING APPARATUS FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

No. 394,460. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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STEERING APPARATUS FOR TRACTION ENGINES. No. 894,460. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

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'UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES AUGUSTUSCOPELAND, OF ROCKLANE, INDIANA.

STEERING APPARATUS F OR TRACTION-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,460, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed September 19, 1888. Serial No. 285,807. (No model.)-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES AUGUSTUS COPELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rocklane, in the county of Johnson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering Apparatus for 'Iraction-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in steering apparatus for traction-engines; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a traction-engine provided with steering apparatus embodying my improvements: Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 4 is a detail view.

A represents a traction-engine of the usual construction, which is provided with the rear axle, B, having; the-driving-wheels C and gears D, and the pivoted front axle, E, having the wheels F.

The engine G is arranged on one side of the boiler, in the usual manner, and imparts rotary motion to the usual crank-shaft, H, which is in turn connected by suitable means (not shown) to a counter-shaft, I, which has pinions K, that engage the wheels D.

L represents a longitudinal shaft, which is journaled in suitable bearings, M, on one side of the boiler, and is connected with the shaft H by a pair of miter gear-wheels, N O.

P R representa pair of miter friction-wheels, which are secured to the shaft L near the rear end thereof, and at suitable distances apart, and the said friction-wheels are arranged on the said shaft with their miter faces opposed to each other.

The bearing M, in which the rear end of S, which is provided with a longitudinal slot,'l.

U represents a vertical shaft, which has its lower end stepped in a bearing, V, that projects from one side of the furnace. The upper portion of the said shaft U extends through the slot T, and is adapted to move back and forth in the said slot.

\Y represents a lever, which is arranged on one side of and is provided with the usual spring-actuated bolt or detent that is adapted to engage a sector-plate, X, whereby the lever may be maintained in any desired position. A link-rod, Y, connects the lever \V to the upper end of the shaft U, and thereby the said shaft U may have its upper end moved forward or rearward by operating the lever \V, as will be very readily understood.

To the lower end of the shaft U is attached a worm, Z, and to the said shaft, at a slight distance from its upper end, is rigidly secured a miter friction-wheel, A, which is adapted to engage with either wheel P or the wheel R, according to the inclination of shaft I B represents a shaft or winch, which is journaled in bearings C that project from the front side of the furnace, said shaft or winch being thereby arranged transversely on the front side of the furnace and under the boiler, as shown.

C represents a worm-wheel, which is rigidly secured to the said shaft or winch, and is engaged by the worm Z.

D E represent a pair of chains, which are attached to the pivoted front axle near opposite ends thereof, and have their inner ends attached to the winch or drum B and coiled thereon in opposite directions.

The object of my invention is to provide a steering apparatus which is operated by the engine, and which may be readily controlled by the driver or engineer, whereby the engine may be directed very readily and without any physical exertion on the part of the person operating the same.

This steeringgear has been hereinbefore described, and the operation thereof is as follows: \Vhile the engine is proceeding along a road the crank-shaft H is in constant rotation and the beveled gears N O impart rotary motion to the shaft L. Vhile the engine is trayeling in a straight line the lever \V will be turned to a vertical position, so as to arrange the shaft U in the vertical position, and thus keep the friction-wheel A out of engagement with the wheels P R; hence the shaft U will not be rotated, and consequently the shaft B, which is geared thereto, will remain stationary and will not affect the front axle, E. When it is desired to turn the engine to the right, the lever \V will be moved so as to draw the upper end of the shaft U rearward,

and thereby cause the friction-Wheel A to ehgage the Wheel P, and thus impart rotary m0- tion from the shaft L to the shaft U, cause the Worm Z and Worm-Wheel C to rotate the shaft B, and thereby uneoil the chain E and coil the chain D, and consequently turn the front aXle to the right. In order to direct the engine to theleft, the movement of the lever? Will be reversed, so as to cause the Wheel A to leave the Wheel P and become engaged with the Wheel R, thereby reversing the rotation of the shafts Uand B, and consequently causing the latter to une'oil chain D and tighten and coil the chain E, so as to turn the front axle to the left. The engine is thus adapted to be controlled by the driver or engineer by simply moving the lever WV.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The combination, in a traction-engine, of

the pivoted axle, the shaft or Winch B, the chains coiled in opposite directions on the Winch and attached to the pivoted axle, the

shaft L, geared to the crank-shaft of the en gine,the bearing M for said shaft having the horizontal portion S, provided with the longi- 

